Category Archives: Poetry

Imam Sajjad December 14

He is Sajjad: Tears are Gems Not Simply Sorrow

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He is Abid, He is Sajjad. The day of the Ashura has come, the night of sorrows has gone. His caravan is on it’s way to Shaam. This is Sajjad’s Ashura, this is Sajjad’s battle. Not slaughtered, but still, treated like cattle Sajjad watches them: his aunts, his sisters, his mother Herded from one town […]

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November 08

(Dis)Honoring Imam Hussain’s Legacy?

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I remember when I used to anticipate the beginning of Muharram.  Not because it’s something to celebrate, but because it brought me close to my community and close to my faith as we commemorated the sacrifice that Imam Hussain made for Islam.  It’s not just that he was beloved to the Prophet of Islam, rather […]

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November 07

Justin Mashouf : Telling the Story of Ashura in America

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The event of Ashura is arguably the most singularly impactful story in Shia identity. This tragic event in which the grandson of the Prophet is slain while thirsty in the battle field, surrounded by the corpses and of his own family members and close friends, has been and continues to be central in a diverse […]

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November 06

Dungeons of Damascus

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Dungeons of Damascus Hear the author reciting Dungeons of Damascus   She wept for her father In the dungeons of Damascus “I had heard of orphans But never felt the pain I cry now, orphaned In the dungeons of Damascus They slap me when I cry They have beaten us from Karbala They still curse us […]

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